Five Things to Know about Holiday Advertising Measurement

Maximize your investments to capture seasonal mindshare and dollars

1. Choose the right metrics to track performance against goals.
2. Don’t rely on subjective measurement to understand campaign impact.
3. Set up measurement that sees across silos, including social media.
4. Consider a measurement partner to help you optimize in real time.
5. Leverage measurement insights to maximize future ROI.

Peak holiday shopping season – once relegated to November and December – is now just around the corner. Most major retailers have introduced proprietary holiday shopping events starting in early October, while optimizing their sites for more seamless, innovative shopping experiences. These shifts have placed more pressure on advertisers to prove the value of every dollar invested in holiday campaigns.

DISQO’s Holiday Advertising report explores evolving consumer shopping behaviors and receptivity to holiday ads, along with their expectations for brands during this competitive time of year.

Whether it’s identifying the right metrics to tell a compelling story to stakeholders or putting performance learnings into context for future campaigns, marketers who value measurement as a tool for success will win. Here are five things to consider about holiday ad measurement to help marketers create a valuable framework.

1. Choose the right metrics to track performance against goals.

Holiday season success looks different for every brand. While it can be a brand-building opportunity, for many brands, it’s arguably one of the most important times of the year to drive revenue. For this reason, setting clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) is foundational to effective campaign measurement. 

Holiday advertisers need a research partner that offers behavioral outcomes on top of more traditional brand metrics. With both, you can see whether a campaign boosted awareness or favorability, and also whether it prompted downstream behaviors like search, site visits, and in-app purchases.

We often hear from our clients that they seek full-funnel insights. Understanding post-exposure behaviors enables them to evolve their media plans and become more effective campaign over campaign.

2. Don’t rely on subjective measurement to understand campaign impact.

While many media platforms will provide metrics for marketers to measure the impact of campaigns, marketers need unbiased measurement to prove that their media spend is driving results. The reliability of the data can be questionable, especially when attempting to compare data across channels and platforms.

Brand marketers need objective measurement to accurately measure impact and intelligently optimize their media mix. This is even more important for holiday advertising campaigns faced with increased clutter and higher stakes.

3. Set up measurement that sees across silos, including social media.

As holiday advertising campaigns become increasingly complex, running across multiple platforms and devices, measurement must keep pace. Social media, in particular, has grown into a critical channel for holiday shopping inspiration and conversion. However, its effectiveness can be challenging to measure in isolation. Without cross-platform insights, it’s easy to overlook how social media fits into the broader media mix and contributes to overall campaign performance.

To combat this, ensure your measurement strategy includes tools that can break down silos and provide a unified view of your campaign’s impact across all touchpoints. By capturing a holistic picture, you can better understand how social media interactions drive actions like search, site visits, purchases, or increased brand favorability, and adjust your approach to optimize performance across channels.

4. Consider a measurement partner to help you optimize in real time.

The fast-paced nature of holiday advertising requires marketers to be agile. Rapidly available data and insights are invaluable for making quick decisions that can significantly impact campaign success. A measurement partner can provide the necessary tools and expertise to monitor your campaign's performance as it unfolds, allowing you to tweak messaging, reallocate budgets, or adjust targeting strategies on the fly.

This test-and-learn approach will allow you to capitalize on emerging trends, respond to unexpected challenges, and ensure that your holiday campaigns are performing at their peak while also setting a strong foundation for future campaigns.

5. Leverage measurement insights to maximize future ROI.

Holiday advertising campaigns offer a wealth of data that can inform your strategy well beyond the season. The insights gained from measuring campaign brand and outcomes lift are not just valuable in the short term—they’re crucial for long-term success. By analyzing this data, you can identify what worked, what didn’t, and why, providing a roadmap for refining your approach in future campaigns.

Measurement doesn’t end when the holiday season wraps up. Use the insights gathered to optimize your marketing strategies, improve targeting, and enhance creative elements in subsequent campaigns. This continuous improvement cycle, driven by data, ensures that your investments yield higher returns year after year.